The League of Women Voters of the Bay Area will present its annual League Day program on Saturday, January 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MetroCenter Auditorium, 101 8th Street (at Oak) in Oakland.

This year's program is Water: California's New Gold. Speakers from state and regional agencies will focus on the problems posed by the demise of a healthy Delta system. Among questions to be addressed are whether Delta fisheries can be restored while most water passing through the Delta goes to agriculture, how crop choices affect water use, and whether water meters should be required of all water users.

Keynote speaker will State Senator Lois Wolk, who has been involved in water issues throughout her career in local and state government. Other speakers include A.G. Kawamura, California Secretary of Food and Agriculture; Christina Swanson, Executive Director, Bay Institute; Heather Cooley, Research Associate, Pacific Institute; Raymond Seed, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley; Katherine Kelly, California Department od Water Resources; and Kathleen Van Velsor, Project Director for Water and Land Use Studies, Association od Bay Area Governments.

As all Bay Area communities face some sort of water rationing, water issues have become more urgent than ever. The League of Women Voters invites everyone to participate in this timely discussion.

Registration for the day is $25 ($15 w/o food) until January 23, $30 ($20) thereafter. More information and registration forms are available at www.lwvbayarea.org, by phone at (510) 839-1608, or by email to editor@bayareamonitor.org.